Headlice!!!

Hello I am really after some advice, I am so frustrated with this problem as it's being going on for 3-4 years on and off! My son is in junior school and has headlice 3-4 times a year, which is due to one individual child whose parent doesn't bother about it, I will treat him with hedrin occasionally but then every 2-3 days nitty gritty comb him, he's clear then a few days later they are back again , when my daughter catches them it's a nightmare as her hair us so long and thick it takes hours to comb through , my point is I'm at my wits end as this one child keeps giving them him and even jokes to him by putting his head next to him, the school do send letters out warning parents which is fine if Everybody addressed the problem, I feel like trying to make a stand and not sending him into school, but it will be my sons education that suffers? But I feel I send him to school to learn not to be continuously reinfected with headlice? I've been advised to speak to school nurse, but they don't do anything? And even suggested to speak to social services re the neglect of this child? I don't want to cause trouble I just want the problem resolving? I have spoke to other parents who also feel the same and wondered if anybody could offer some advice on the problem, not getting rid of the nits!!! Thanks

Have you spoken to the class teacher to see if they can have a quiet word with the parents of that child? or as you know which child it is can you talk to their parents? I don't think the school are actually allowed to do anymore than they are already doing though so even if you make a stand it wouldn't make a difference and I think virtually every class has a child whose parents don't bother.

Also have you tried spray to discourage the lice? Since I've been using it on DD we've had less brought home, it hasn't completely stopped her getting the bloody things but at least it's less often.

3-4 times a year? You've got off lightly. I have treated my son twice already THIS YEAR. Unfortunately everyone has to treat at the same time otherwise they just get passed around. I suspect the boy you think is reinfecting probably is being treated otherwise your son would have had them a lot more often. Its quite likely your son has also accidently infected others between treatments. I really sympathise but unfortunately apart from trying repellent etc don't think there's much you can do.

Hmm. It is not clear from your post whether the child uyou susp[ect of spreading the gheadlice IS untreated and makes a joke about it to the others, or whether it is your opinion that he is untreated?

I have a child in my class who is routinely named by other parents as the source of headlice .... while the ACTUAL most common source is a very different child. Child A is a 'disadvantaged' child in a generally very affluent school and area, whereas Child B, the actual source, is a naice girl from a naice family. I obviously can't name child B to the parents who blame child A, but I am always saddened that a side effect of Child A's rather visible disadvantage is that issues such as headlice are wrongly laid at her door.

I started a thread about headlice a few months back, when my kids were infested. Someone on that thread linked to a 21 day programme of combing/days off combing. I used a nitty gritty comb and tresemme conditioner (currently £2.50 for a huge bottle from ASDA).

It worked a treat and no problems since. It might be worth getting the school to send out an email with the link.

With any treatment such as Hedrin the treatment has to be repeated once a week for three weeks. If you use it once, and there's a few eggs left, the lice will come back. It has to be done according to the instructions, once a week for three weeks.

A good method for getting the bloody things out of thick/unbrushable hair is to soak your head in rubbing alcohol (vodka will work too apparently) and keep it covered in a shower cap for half an hour, then wash out. Repeat three times, three days or so apart. The lice aren't immune to it like that can be to hedrin or whatever, and you can literally see them fall out.I wouldn't use this on kids except as a last resort, but it is good for us grown ups!

Tea Tree oil is one of the best preventative methods, headlice hate it, you can put some in water and squirt the kids with it before school.

Oh, and a good one on the kids is to use vinegar the same way as the alcohol method above. It seems to actually get rid of the nits (eggs) themselves. Possibly something to do with the pH balance of the shell vs the vinegar.

i was a nit naif until recently. headlice are through the whole ks1. letters came home and i.combed but i wasn't on the ball. cue school photos - the photographer used a brush (the same one?!) on the kids. sigh.

anyway if the headlice are rampant it will not be a single household responsible.

Sorry no advice as with what to do about the other kids, but for the nits I treated my dd with mayonnaise. She was not impressed to say the least cos the smell but once I had smothered her hair in mayonnaise, I put a shower cap on and left it for an hour. I then washed her hair with tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner and combed it. I got 3 lice out and a few eggs. She hasn't had it since and she had beautiful shines hair